Fumaroles and craters in the caldera of the Phlegraean Fields
West of Naples stretch the Campi Flegrei, the "burning fields", a vast volcanic caldera about 12 kilometres wide, formed by enormous eruptions tens of thousands of years ago. Unlike Vesuvius it has no single cone: it is a landscape of about forty craters, some filled by lakes such as Averno and Lucrino, hot springs and fumaroles.
The most famous crater is the Solfatara of Pozzuoli, where the ground steams, smells of sulphur and bubbles with mud pools; the Romans called it "Forum Vulcani" and believed it was the entrance to the underworld. The area is also known for bradyseism, the slow rise and fall of the ground: in recent years the soil has been rising and small earthquakes are frequent, so the area is constantly monitored and access to the Solfatara itself may be restricted. Nearby the Astroni crater is a wooded nature reserve, and Monte Nuovo was born in just a few days in 1538.
Tip: check before going whether the Solfatara is open; the Astroni reserve and the lakes are pleasant walks. Pozzuoli has excellent seafood restaurants on the harbour.
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